The first day of school carries a special kind of hope. New notebooks still crisp. Uniforms neatly pressed. Shoes tied tight. For many children, it’s a normal rhythm of life.
For the girls at Refugio de Vida (Refuge of Life) near Pucallpa, Peru, school is often something far more fragile—and far more sacred. Many arrive having missed years of education. Some have never attended school at all. Others come so far behind academically that a classroom can feel like a foreign country. And yet, every January brings a fresh opportunity: not just to start school, but to begin rebuilding what trauma, poverty, abandonment, and instability tried to steal.
Refugio de Vida is an all-girls home that opened just over 2 years ago and provides a safe, nurturing environment for girls who previously lived without parents and in extreme conditions. (havenofhopeintl.org)
Preparation is where success begins
At Haven of Hope International, we’ve learned something simple and powerful: success begins with preparation. A girl cannot thrive in school without the basics. Many arrive with little more than the clothes they’re wearing. The first step is helping each student walk into the classroom with dignity—wearing the required uniform, carrying a backpack, and equipped with supplies that say, “You belong here.” Preparation doesn’t guarantee success, but it removes the barriers that immediately communicate shame, exclusion, and defeat.
This is why school readiness matters so much. It’s not about “stuff.” It’s about confidence. It’s about removing the daily stress of being unprepared and creating a stable starting line.
But success is sustained by people
Still, preparation is only the beginning. For girls who are behind—sometimes drastically—education is not a sprint. It’s a healing journey. And that journey is sustained by consistent, loving adults who help a child do what she has never been able to do before: focus, learn, practice, persevere, and believe she can improve.
At Refuge of Life, the girls are surrounded by a team committed to long-term transformation—caregivers who bring structure, tutors who patiently rebuild academic foundations, and social workers and professionals who help address the emotional burdens that often make learning difficult.
The ministry is led by Pastora Lilly and a closely involved family team. Her sister, Toti, helps oversee daily operations, and her daughter-in-law Gaby leads the onsite psychology department—ensuring trauma-informed support is woven into everyday care. (havenofhopeintl.org)
That combination—practical structure and emotional support—is what turns school supplies into school success.
New habits, new routines, new confidence
Many of the girls at Refugio de Vida are not just learning math or reading—they are learning how to learn.
That means establishing new patterns:
- set times for homework
- quiet spaces for study
- help when frustration rises
- encouragement when progress feels slow
- consistent follow-through that builds self-discipline
Over time, these routines begin to rewrite a child’s story. And we’ve seen the fruit: staff report that many girls are catching up academically and growing in confidence—some even becoming young leaders in their classes. (havenofhopeintl.org)
When a child who once believed “I can’t” begins to say, “Let me try again,” education becomes more than academic. It becomes personal restoration.
A home designed for healing and growth
Refuge of Life is located in a rural area just outside Pucallpa and is designed to feel like family—not an institution. The campus includes three family-style homes, each with bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms, and living space under the care of a live-in Christian couple, along with shared campus facilities and land for sustainability projects. (havenofhopeintl.org)
And as the needs have grown, so has the vision.
A major component has been the development of the Hope Center, including expanded space intended for offices and—most importantly—counseling, therapy and tutoring. Because for girls who have experienced deep loss, healing and education must go hand in hand.
“Big dreams” are growing here
One of the most beautiful things happening at Refugio de Vida is that the girls are learning to dream again.
They’re imagining futures as nurses, teachers, doctors, businesswomen, engineers, and more. (havenofhopeintl.org) That kind of hope doesn’t appear overnight—it grows in safe places, through faithful people, with steady support.
This school year, as uniforms are fitted and backpacks are filled, we celebrate more than a new semester. We celebrate a new beginning—built on preparation, sustained by people, and powered by hope.
If you’d like to help a girl at Refugio de Vida start strong and keep going—through supplies, tutoring support, and ongoing care—your partnership can make that future possible.
